The Business of Agriculture Podcast

Delaney Howell is an Ag broadcaster and communicator. She joins us to discuss Agricultural communication and how we can do it better. We also talk about the reality of "us versus them" mentality in our industry, and the reality of infighting between and within commodity groups. Delaney and I admit we sometimes point out what Ag gets wrong as an industry, so we take time to highlight a few of the amazing things this industry gets right. This is a fun talk — pull up a chair!

Video surfaced recently showing presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg making statements that created a firestorm among the people of Agriculture. Like everyone in the world's most important industry, I found Bloomberg's statements to be Agriculturally ignorant. But unlike some in Ag, I didn't respond emotionally. Rather, I thought we should take this as a moment to demonstrate the role Agriculture has had as a foundation to America's dominant economic achievement. Friend of show Katharine Lotspeich joins me to discuss politics, farming, and the realities of being governed by Ag illiterate elected officials. Join the conversation — there's plenty of gray matter here!

I push the need to constantly ReInvent to remain relevant in a constantly evolving marketplace. Ag retail is just such a marketplace. With consolidation at the manufacturing and retail level combined with a decreasing farmer base, retailing Agricultural products is a real challenge. It's a challenge Cody Hostler is up for. He worked for Sioux Nation — a South Dakota independent Ag retailer — for 8 years before purchasing the business. He's owned the business for five years, and has gone from seven employees to 17 in that timeframe. Cody and his employee Paul Raymond join me to talk about the interesting things their company does to not only survive, but thrive.

Per the Indiana Department of Agriculture, hardwoods are my home state's largest agricultural industry in terms of economic impact. That's why I thought it was time to give timber it's due credit. Ray Moistner, Executive Director of the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association and Brett Franklin of Tri-State Timber sit down with me to talk wood. You'll learn some things you didn't know about the lumber business. Like for instance, there are more acres of forest east of the Mississippi than there were a century ago. And, the forestry business is responsible for $10 billion of industry just in Indiana. Also like every other aspect of Agriculture, you'll hear about the PR battles the forestry industry faces from activists.

Jay Hill wasn't a farm kid but at age 16 he decided he wanted to be a farmer. He went about pursuing his professional vision by joining forces with his father — who wanted Jay to attend college — by producing onions on the ten acres his father owned. Jay also worked for a produce company for 14 years, all the while learning the ins and outs of Agribusiness. Today, Jay operates or is partnered on a few different ventures. He's mostly a grower and marketer of produce but he's also into packaged alfalfa with his latest endeavor, Chaffhaye. You'll enjoy this discussion with an entrepreneur in the Business of Agriculture.

Starbucks made an announcement pledging to do its part to save the world. The coffee chain, with 31,000 stores worldwide, will "encourage" customers to opt for dairy alternatives rather than cow's milk to accent their over-priced beverages. I explain why Starbucks chose milk as its sacrificial cow (because the industry won't fight back), and the coffee company's real motivation (hint, it's money). We also discuss the reality that this move will be replicated by other large companies as they see how well the environmental smoke screen worked for Starbucks. Grab a coffee and enjoy this talk!

Chris Mittelstaedt isn't from a farming background but he became an Agricultural entrepreneur at an early age — he sold vegetables from his mom's garden around his suburban Philadelphia neighborhood out of a radio flyer wagon. Today, Mr. Mittelstaedt owns and runs The FruitGuys, a fruit business specializing in delivery to corporate offices. Chris started The FruitGuys in 1998. The company now delivers throughout the United States. The FruitGuys makes a concerted effort to source product from local and smaller producers. Chris joins me to discuss how his business operates and where he sees opportunity in Ag's future. You'll like his perspective and you'll enjoy the conversation. Bonus: if you have a great idea in need of funding for your own farming operation, you might even want to apply for a grant through the The FruitGuys Community Fund. I'll let Chris explain...

On January 6th, 2020, Borden Dairy filed for bankruptcy protection. The 163 year old milk processor's announcement comes just 2 months after Dean Foods - the nation's largest milk processor - filed for bankruptcy. Within minutes of the Borden news breaking, social media warriors were blaming Walmart for the company's demise. Friend of show and dairy woman, Katharine Lotspeich joins me to sort out the reality of milk, the marketplace and why we in agriculture can't keep blaming Walmart for a changing landscape. Consumer tastes are changing while large scale companies seem content to sit on their commodity business model. What does this mean for the future of food production and processing? Listen and find out!

This week's Golden Globe Awards is the first (of way too many) Hollywood awards shows for the year. It's also the first award show to distinguish itself by serving an all-vegan menu. This, along with increasing media hit pieces on the meat industry's safety and environmental impact, have me convinced 2020 will be a flash point in the argument against livestock farming and meat consumption. In this episode we'll discuss Hollywood hypocrisy, Time Magazine's person of the year Greta Thunberg, political food police, the U.N., and how all those forces are out to dictate food choice.

Rich Bradbury is an Oregon rancher with an eye on the future. Along with other cattlemen, he started a cooperative to process and market their brands of beef. Country Natural is their conventional beef product but he's most excited about their other brand, Desert Mountain Grass Fed Beef. And that's where the growth has been. Rich talks to us about ranching in the desolate drylands, the potential for selling carbon offsets, and the business of producing and marketing grass fed protein. You may prefer your beef grain-fed, but the current trends point to a future of more grass finished bovine.